Speed Axles

[ranman106]

I was wondering who makes/sells the best speed axles? I usually polish my own axles but time is of the essence. Since I am permitted to use them, I would like to try them. What are your thoughts and experience with these?

[Stan Pope]

I was wondering who makes/sells the best speed axles? I usually polish my own axles but time is of the essence. Since I am permitted to use them, I would like to try them. What are your thoughts and experience with these?

Hello, RM! Welcome aboard.
Appears not to be much experience; at least not much that anyone wants to share on that one. I've only run kit here, since our rules require "kit axles".

[Whistler]

Most of the "speed axles" I've seen include removing material to create shallow grooves in the axle. There have been other threads regarding this, but the general consensus seems to be that removing contact surface between the axle and hub does not decrease friction. It most likely helps only by furnishing a "graphite reservoir" inside the wheel/hub area, if indeed it helps at all.

As far as I know the speed axles are manufactured from offical axle pins, so I don't see why they couldn't be used.

We tried speed axles last year, but did not notice any change in performance. Of course that kind of testing if very difficult to prove rigorously as car alignment is so dependant on axle geometry, and switching axles influences that. Perhaps Wooden Wonder can figure out a test system, but I don't have the time or resources to do it properly.

I'm sure the speed axles are superior to the stock axle, but do not believe they will stack up against a well polished straightened and deburred stock axle, especially if a dry lube is used instead of graphite/moly.

YMMV of course

[TurtlePowered]

I've heard of people plating existing BSA axels with Nickol with good results. Nickol is harder than standard BSA axel and by applying a think layer of Nickol would actually increase the diameter of the axel which would also be a good thing as long as wheels still spin freely.
Where to get them, don't have a clue.
I have never seen any BSA races where they did not require stock axels though.

[PWD]

I have some speed axels. I purchased from Hodges Hobby several years ago. They are not in business this year. We are not allowed to use them in the race. We use them for testing different factors of the car. I believe using the speed axels takes the axels out of the testing for other things. The speed axels we have are not from the kit. They are perfectly smooth and look to have been manufactured that way.

-Stev-

[Barga Racing]

Perhaps Wooden Wonder can figure out a test system, but I don't have the time or resources to do it properly.

Already have. Except the axles I tested were ones I made by spinning in a drill press and cutting with a dremel. I made some with 4 thin grooves evenly spaced and also some with one wide groove. With graphite-moly they were not as good as plain polished axles. With Nyoil they were better. I do not understand why better with the oil but I have a theory that the oil may have acted "sticky" and with the grooved axles there is less surface area for it to hold onto. If you have to run dry lube I would stick with the plain axles.

I have not tested nickel plated axles. As someone said Hugh used to sell nickel plated smooth axles. I have seen nickel plated grooved axles on Ebay for $18 for a set of 4. Seems a little high. Although I believe they were actual BSA axles which should make them legal for most rules.

[stefjeano]

There is a guy on Ebay that sells nickle plated speed axles. He is a good guy to deal with.

Air City Pinewood Derby Supplies

http://www.stores.ebay.com/id=69432486&ssPageName=L2